Monday, March 2, 2015

Omaha…Veggies?

Christmas is full of special memories, and much appreciated gifts; especially ones that come in large styrofoam containers packed with big chunks of dry ice. When he was little, our son would spot it sitting there on our front porch, gleaming and white, and yell, "The meat box is here!" and I would know that someone had just moved up several notches on my "favorite relative" list.I'm talking about Omaha Steaks, of course, the company that sends you meat through the mail. It may seem odd, even cruel, to be talking about animal protein in such loving terms on Meatless Monday. However, I am happy to share with you the news that this most meaty of meat providers is getting into the veggie act: Omaha Steaks has announced that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with The Chef's Garden, Inc.:

According to Todd Simon, Sr. Vice President and Family Owner of Omaha Steaks, the partnership breaks new ground because it brings the extraordinary specialty and heirloom vegetables, herbs, microgreens and edible flowers of The Chef's Garden, which have previously been sourced directly to top chefs and restaurants around the world, to consumer tables across the country.

Also supplies glamourous model shoots for Bottega Veneta shoes!

"Until now, The Chef's Garden has focused on providing vegetables to chefs and restaurant kitchens," said Farmer Lee Jones, one of the family owners of The Chef's Garden and a pioneer in the sustainable agriculture movement. "We are absolutely delighted to be working with a company like Omaha Steaks that is as committed as we are to providing premium quality food."

The current offerings include an 11 pound box of roasting vegetables, a 9 pound box of juicing vegetables, a "beauty box" which will include edible flowers, a "roots and shoots" box, and 10 pounds of something called "Nature's Color Box," a tasty-looking mix of carrots, radishes, cucumbers and celery root. These choices are each 99.99 (that's right, one cent short of one hundred bucks) except for the Beauty Box, which is 165.00. Shipping is included, tho, so that's a break, anyway.Obviously, at 100 bucks a box, these veggies are still only within the category of "gift," not something you can use to supply your kitchen on a regular basis. And even if you DO receive it as a gift, here's hoping you are a real foodie with the equipment and know-how to turn these vegetable delights into meals and/or side dishes.It's just interesting to see that even a meat-centric company like Omaha Steaks is recognizing the demand for fresh and healthy produce. Personally, I'd like to see the "Certified Organic" label on the veggies, but in reading about The Chef's Garden it seems they are as close to that as they can get without achieving full-on certification. For that matter, I'd also like to see OS offer organic, grass-fed beef and cage-free chicken, etc., choices, too, but maybe we'll get there eventually. In the meantime, the company's step into the vegetable patch is a step int the right direction.Click on the link for more info: Vegetables from Omaha SteaksRead more about The Chef's Garden here:A Very Unusual Family Farm in Ohio